My Favorite Person
by ColumnX
Summary: The Rocket Trio are going about their usual business in the beautiful region of Alola. From first dates to wedding blues, the Rocket Gang have their fair share of drama.
1. Chapter 1

**Just some quick information before the story. I'm a Rocketshipper, that's a given. I grew up watching the Anime show in English DUB but have in my later years developed a love and preference to the SUB version. I find the English version censors too many things out and I like to see the show how its Japanese creators intended. Therefore, in my writings, I tend to use the Japanese versions of the names of not only the human characters, but the Pokémon as well. So, I'll be making a quick reference to avoid any confusion.**

 **1) Kojiro (James) 2) Musashi (Jessie) 3) Nyasu (Meowth) 4) Rumika (Jessiebelle) 5) Sonansu (Wobuffet) 6) Kiteruguma (Bewear) 7) Hidoide (Mareanie) 8) Ruffresia (Vileplume) 9) Windie (Arcanine) 10) Gar-Chan (Growlie)**

 **Another Random note before I begin, I could not find the Japanese version of Kojiro's family butler, so I stuck with the English version of: Hopkins. If anyone knows and would like let me know the name, feel free to comment. This is my 3rd story on this website and my other 2 stories are also Rocketshipping centered. I appreciate your comments and criticism! And now, without further ado, here's my new story!**

Another Alolan lazy afternoon was dragging on, as the Rocket Trio sat inside their Kiteruguma (Bewear) donut truck. It was slow, in terms of business. They had not seen another customer in the past hour. Kojiro and Nyasu yawned loudly, staring out of the open window of their truck. It was another beautiful day with the perfect weather in Alola.

"Aww, what a waste," Kojiro sighed aloud, his hands propping up his head while his elbows rested on the counter. "We're wasting a perfectly good afternoon working when we can be enjoying the day!"

"It's not a waste, Meow!" growled Nyasu, rotating some donuts in their display trays. "You know this revenue we get from work goes to Headquarters and pleases our Sakaki!"

"Musashi," Kojiro whined. "We haven't done anything fun in a while. Can we go-" he stopped talking when he turned and noticed Musashi was no longer in her work uniform. She was in her civilian clothes. "Where are you going?" he demanded.

Musashi paused to look at him as she was smoothing out her shirt. "I have an event coming up that I have to practice for." she said. "I can't waste my time cooped up in here."

"Wait!" cried Kojiro. "What event?" Nyasu joined Kojiro in questioning Musashi.

"I was asked to entertain at the upcoming Pineapple Festival this weekend. I get to do a performance, which I haven't done since Kalos. I'm so excited!" Musashi's eyes had stars from excitement.

"Pineapple festival?" questioned Kojiro.

"Who in the right mind would ask you to do this?" Nyasu asked skeptically.

"Some guy who's in charge of booking entertainment at that Pokemon area we host at." Musashi answered, getting bored of the questions, edging to get out of the truck.

"Well, that's not fair!" Kojiro protested, standing up in an attempt to block Musashi. "You get to go and prepare for some performance, while Nyasu and I are stuck selling donuts on this boring afternoon!"

Musashi looked at Kojiro for a moment, thinking. "You mentioned wanting to do something fun?" She asked, leaned forward towards him.

Kojiro nodded, nervous about how Musashi was going to respond. She was either going to snap at him, or scold him.

"Why don't we take a break this weekend for the festival? Have some fun together and enjoy ourselves?" Musashi smiled sweetly at Kojiro. She stuck her tongue playfully, knowing he thought she was going to get angry.

Kojiro felt a tug at his heart from Musashi's smile. "You mean, just us? No Rocket Gang business?"

"Just us," Musashi confirmed, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at Kojiro, before turning to exit the truck. "And Nyasu, of course!" she called over her shoulder.

"Right, right!" Kojiro agreed, flushing upon meeting Nyasu's suspicious gaze. "That's what I meant!"

* * *

Musashi had walked over to a nearby park, with plenty of space to practice her upcoming performance. She frowned, thinking about how difficult it might be to get Mimikkyu to follow directions, compared to the other Pokemon she had. Even Sonansu listened better than Mimikkyu did. She sighed, then called out her Pokemon.


	2. Chapter 2

Kojiro and Nyasu remained at their donut truck, determined to finish their work day in a more positive manner. Nyasu was still bored, but noticed that Kojiro was in a noticeably higher spirit than before.

"You're going about this boring afternoon a lot better than earlier, Meow," Nyasu commented suspiciously. Kojiro flushed a bit around his cheeks and said, "I just thought that you were right. We are doing this for the Rocket Gang and Sakaki."

"Uh huh," Nyasu answered with skepticism. "Are you sure it's not just that Pineapple Festival coming up?"

Kojiro stiffened in response. His back to Nyasu. "T-that too, I suppose," he retorted. "Plus, festivals are always fun, and it's nice to take a break."

Nyasu was about to retort back, when he noticed a young woman standing outside their truck window.

"Welcome to our Kiteruguma Honey Donut truck, meow!" Nyasu exclaimed.

"Oh, hi!" the woman answered quietly, looking at their selection of donuts. "I've never had these before. So, I'm not sure..." She had brown, straight hair that went to her shoulders, curling slightly on the ends. Her eyes, a pretty honey color, gleamed in curiosity as she browsed the desserts.

"These happen to be the most delicious dessert you can find in Alola!" exclaimed Kojiro, stepping forward to help the woman. "I guarantee you will love them!" With that last remark, Kojiro grabbed a fresh donut with some tongs, and placed it in a small paper bag. He then handed it to her. "Try one!" Kojiro offered, giving her a friendly smile.

The woman paused before she took the bag from Kojiro, taking in his cute smile and gorgeous green eyes. She smiled shyly and tucked a lock of her short, brown hair behind her ear, taking the bag from Kojiro. "Thanks!"

She took a bite of the donut and immediately hummed in approval. "Delicious!" she cried out. "You were right!"

"Of course I'm right!" Kojiro said. "I make them myself!"

"Whoa!" exclaimed the young woman, in awe of his gift for pastry making.

"Not just yourself," Nyasu grumbled aloud. "Musashi and I help, Meow."

Kojiro smiled apologetically before looking at the woman again. "So, what will it be?" he asked her.

"Huh?" she asked, surprised by the question. She had been unconsciously staring at Kojiro. "Oh! Oh, yes, the donuts. I will definitely buy some!"

Kojiro put some fresh donuts in a bag and handed it to her, smiling brightly. "Here you go!"

"Thank you!" she said. Then, blushing, she said, "My name's Melody."

"You're welcome Melody!" Kojiro answered with another friendly smile. "Come back anytime!" He hoped that was dismissive enough so that Melody would leave without asking his name. Kojiro didn't have enough time to think of a witty disguise name aside from 'Fire Kojiro' at the current moment.

Melody gave a slight look of disappointment before smiling gratefully at Kojiro and Nyasu. Then, she bounded away. Nyasu and Kojiro exchanged looks, before shrugging and returning back to work. Nysasu snickered softly.


	3. Chapter 3

"What?! What do you mean I'm by myself today?" Kojiro cried.

"I told you," Musashi replied calmly, albeit annoyed. "I'm doing a performance that requires Pokemon. And Nyasu has always been a big help." Nyasu, who was standing next to her, beamed in pride.

Kojiro pouted at her. "Fine" he replied, slumping his head and shoulders in defeat.

Musashi patted his shoulder gently. "We'll be back early," she assured him. "We're only going to be gone a few hours this morning. So, we'll be able to finish the work day with you."

With that, Kojiro slightly perked up, but not by much.

He watched as Musashi and Nyasu walked off together. Musashi waved her hand, while walking away and called out, "Later!"

* * *

After a few practice runs, Musashi returned Mimikkyu to its Pokeball and went to sit with Nyasu and Sonansu at a nearby bench. They were sipping on some water bottles, cooling off in the shade of a nearby tree.

"I think that's it for now," Musashi said. "Just one more day of practice and then Saturday is the festival!"

"I think we got it down pretty well!" Nyasu added.

"Yeah, we do!" Musashi cried with confidence. As she stretched, her watch gleamed and she took note of the time. "Well, we better get back to work. It's probably not that much busier than yesterday. Did you and Kojiro get any more customers after I left yesterday?"

Nyasu thought for a moment, before remembering Melody. "We had just one...Melody," he said with a mischievous smile.

"Melody?" Musashi asked, confused. "Who's that?"

"The girl who bought some donuts from us." Nyasu replied, trying to peak Musashi's attention. He smiled, knowing it was working.

"Why do you know her name?" Musashi asked, confused on whether she was someone important or not.

"She made it a point on letting us know," Nyasu answered slyly. "Or at least to Kojiro."

"How come?" Musashi asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I think she has a crush on him, Meow," Nyasu answered, hoping to get a response out of Musashi. Even though it hadn't been _too_ obvious between them over the years, Nyasu knew that there was something deeper to Musashi and Kojiro's bond than just friends, more than they were ready or _willing_ to admit.

"Hey, I want to see!" Musashi replied with excitement, standing up. Nyasu's ears fell in confusion. This was not the kind of response he was trying to gauge out of her. He and Sonansu ran off after her as she power walked her way back to the Donut truck.

* * *

Back at the truck, Kojiro had just finished wrapping up a customer's order when he turned to see a familiar pretty face with bright, honey eyes. "Oh!" Kojiro said in surprise, taking a step back. "Melody, right? Welcome back! What can I get you?"

Melody began fidgeting where she was standing. "Oh, no," she answered, feeling awkward. "I'm actually here because I never got your name."

Kojiro's face fell. He had to think and fast. "Oh!" he exclaimed, grabbing the back of his neck. "It's uh...Koji...yama."

"Kojiyama?" Melody asked. "Ok. Well, I came here because I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to the upcoming Pineapple Festival this Saturday!" Her eyes gazed deep into Kojiro's.

Momentarily caught off guard from her request, he paused for a moment. She was such a nice girl and Kojiro didn't want to hurt her feelings. "Um, sure!" he said. "That would be nice!"

Melody grinned. "Great! I'll meet you at the entrance around 5!" She looked slightly behind Kojiro. She noticed Musashi was standing behind him, just having entered the truck in her Kiteruguma uniform. Melody smiled politely at her, before turning to walk away.

Confused from the whole ordeal, Kojiro turned to see who Melody was looking at. He turned to find Musashi, smiling and giving Kojiro an amused face.

"She's cute," Musashi commented.

Kojiro nearly jumped out of his skin. "Musashi!" he cried. "You scared me! Ho-how long were you standing there?"

"I just got in," Musashi replied. She leaned against one of the walls of the truck. "So," she said smirking playfully. " _Kojiyama_ , you got yourself a date?"

"If you want to call it that," Kojiro murmured, flushing slightly. Then, he looked at Musashi, trying to read her face. In hopes of triggering the right emotion, he asked her in a teasing tone, "Are you jealous?"

"No," answered Musashi, her tone short and honest. "Why would I be?" Disheartened by her response, Kojiro looked sheepishly at Musashi, who was waiting for the answer to her question.

"I don't know," he sighed in a rejected tone.

She laughed lightly. "Come on Kojiro, it's not like you would get jealous if you saw me on a date with someone, right?"

Kojiro winced at that comment, knowing he would have to answer her. His mind flashed to Dr. White. Kojiro was a horrible liar. So, instead of answering, Kojiro looked up to meet her face with a guilty grimace.

Nyasu noticed the situation and cut in quickly. "Hey Kojiro! Looks like we didn't do too bad today Meow!"

"Really?" Musashi asked, distracted by Nyasu. Kojiro breathed out in relief. "I thought it would have been slow like yesterday," Musashi continued.

As the two were talking, Nyasu met Kojiro's glance. Kojiro nodded in thanks as Nyasu continued to distract Musashi. Kojiro took the time to start the closing up chores and get ready to head back to base.


	4. Chapter 4

Kojiro was left alone to work the next day as well. Nyasu and Musashi were going to be out all day practicing for their performance scheduled the next day. Kojiro, already in a sour mood, didn't put up much of a fight, as he was handling all the donut truck duties on his own.

Looking out the window longingly as he fried the donuts, he thought about the last conversation he had this morning with Musashi.

"Hey Kojiro, I was thinking" Musashi stated, while pulling her hair up for the day. "That date you have with that girl this weekend..."

Kojiro paused and looked at Musashi, not knowing where she was going with this. "We were supposed to hang out at the festival that day, remember?"

Kojiro cried out in remembrance. "Gah! You're right! We had plans that day! I should just cancel with Melody-"

"It's OK!" Musashi said, puttering her hands up. "We can hang out after your date, right?"

"Yeah..."Kojiro said, disappointed. "I guess we can. It shouldn't take the whole evening, I'm sure."

 _I was really looking forward to hanging out with Musashi_ Kojiro thought to himself. _We haven't had any quality time while here in this paradise…_

Kojiro recalled the last time that he and Musashi had spent any quality time together.

~~ They had been splashing and swimming around in the clear, warm waters of a nearby beach on MeleMele Island. After having a splash fight, Kojiro and Musashi ran back to their towels, pushing and shoving each other playfully, laughing.

After they had caught their breath, they paused to look out to the sunset on the water's horizon. Kojiro reached for Musashi's hand carefully. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last. Musashi stood up, having spotted Satoshi and the other brat children. Pikachu looked like he had gotten separated from the group.

"Come on," Musashi urged Kojiro. "Now's our chance!"

"And there goes mine," Kojiro sighed under his breath, getting up to join his partner~~

Kojiro sighed and poked at some nearby donuts.

* * *

The next day, Kojiro didn't even get a chance to see Nyasu or Musashi. They had left early to practice and prepare for their performance later on that day. Kojiro had slept in, exhausted from having manned the donut truck by himself the past few days. When he did wake up, he spent most of the day just pacing around, nervous for his date.

 _When is the last time I've even been on a date anyway?_ Kojiro thought. _I'm always so busy with work. What do I wear? My civilian clothes? No...no, something nicer._

The time was approaching and Kojiro had finally picked out a pair of khaki shorts and a red, collared button down shirt with short sleeves. The shirt had sewn patterns of pineapples throughout the shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror. _I guess this is OK_ he thought. _Not too fancy and not too casual_.

He made his way over to the festival's location, hands in his pockets, unsure of his decision to go through with this after all. He looked up as he approached the entrance. There stood Melody in a green dress. It swayed elegantly in the breeze. Kojiro took notice of the flowers in her hair. _Wow_ , he thought. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all._

Melody smiled widely as she spotted Kojiro. "Hi!" she greeted. "Ready to go in?" Kojiro nodded and offered her his arm, which she eagerly took. Together, the two of them went around all the different midway games, playing and trying to win prizes. Kojiro and Melody laughed, as their tries led to no winnings. Still, Kojiro found Melody to be a great person to be around and found that he was genuinely enjoying himself.

As Kojiro was walking, trying to find the next activity to do, he stopped when he noticed the grand stage. The sudden stop came so sudden, that Melody did not notice. Kojiro spun around quicky to inform Melody of the upcoming performance. She took notice and slowed down the best she could. However, as she skidded to a stop, she leaned forward in her momentum just enough so that her lips crashed into the lower part of Kojiro's neck/collar bone area.

"Oops!" cried Melody, flushing in embarrassment. She pulled away and noticed her lipstick had left her mark on Kojiro. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's OK" Kojiro reassured her, knowing it was his fault for stopping so quickly. He began to head towards a food vendor to get a napkin to wipe off the lipstick when he paused. A voice came over the loudspeakers, announcing the upcoming performances.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Melody!" He turned around to find her. "The performance! My friend Musashi-the one from the truck! She's going to perform! Let's grab a seat!"

Melody gave a look of awe. "You coworker? Really? So cool!" she followed Kojiro to a nearby table with 2 stools. He wanted to be close, but not too close as to be overwhelmed by the crowd.


	5. Chapter 5

Other performers were scheduled to come onto the stage before Musashi. All were trainers with their Pokemon, performing certain talents and performances. Melody and Kojiro cheered and laughed in amusement at their amazing shows of talent. She watched as Kojiro was having a great time and smiled at his adorable features.

"And now," the announcer boomed over the speakers. "Put your hands together, for the one, the only: Musavie!"

"Musavie?" asked Melody to Kojiro.

"It's her stage name," Kojiro whispered quickly to her.

"Oh," whispered Melody. She was going to ask Kojiro another question before she noticed his demeanor. He had gone from animated to hushed. His attention was completely on the stage. Melody watched curiously since this was something he had not done during the duration of their time watching the other performers. Even if she were to say something to him, she had the feeling he would not have even noticed.

Melody's attention was suddenly drawn to the stage as Musashi came bursting through the curtain. Her Sonansu had sent out a beautiful, colorful Mirror Coat that burst, sending colorful fragments everywhere. Mimikkyu sent forth short dark pulses, that Nyasu sliced at with his claws, sending ribbons of dark energy into the air. The crowd had gone wild in applause. Musashi acknowledged the crowd in nothing short of complete confidence.

She blew kisses as she posed in her pink, summer dress that she had purchased at the mall a few months ago. The dress was adorned with new colorful ribbons that complimented the colors of her Mimikkyu and Nyasu's gold charm. She had traded her big hair style for a more elegant and sleek down-do, with a slight side part to partially cover one of her eyes.

Melody's eyes widened in surprise. "That's...Musashi?" she asked quietly, more to herself than to Kojiro. This Musashi looked completely different from the skinny woman she saw dressed in black slacks and the magenta shirt. Her long magenta hair, which was hidden under her Kiteruguma hat, was now cascaded down near her waist.

As Musashi pranced around, commanding her Pokemon, and making a grand display with their moves, Kojiro had become animated again. He was standing in his seat, cheering and screaming for Musashi. He seemed to be the loudest fan in the audience. Melody watched him quietly. Then she looked down and smiled knowingly. _I see_ she thought, smiling in defeat.

* * *

After the performance was over, the crowd had begun to disperse. Kojiro had gotten up from his seat to make way for the crowd in an attempt not to lose himself or Melody. She took the opportunity to walk around the table to Kojiro. He smiled in his usual friendly way.

"I'm going to go do something really quick," she said, loud enough for him to hear over the crowd. And with that, she gave the confused Kojiro a kiss on the cheek before disappearing into the crowd. Immediately, Kojiro lost sight of her. Alarmed, he tried calling after her, wondering where she was going and where he could find her afterwards.

It wasn't until after the crowd dispersed completely that Kojiro noticed that Melody was completely gone. He stood there, stunned, not knowing what he should do when he heard a voice behind him. "There you are."

He spun around and noticed it was Musashi approaching him. She was flushed from having recovered from her performance.

"Musashi," he said softly, happy to see her. "You were great!"

"Thanks!" she replied, looking around. "Are you done with your date already?" She had stopped when she was only a foot away from Kojiro.

"Well," Kojiro began, not sure how to answer. "I guess I am, but-" he stopped when he noticed Musashi looking at him strangely, a stern look across her face. "What?"

"I see you had fun on your date," she commented cooly, as she was close enough to see the lipstick marks on his neck and cheek.

"Yea," Kojiro shrugged innocently. "It was nice, I guess..." he continued to look at her in confusion. "What do you mean you 'see'?"

Musashi huffed for a moment, not knowing if Kojiro was playing stupid or if he was just being an egotistical jerk. When he didn't catch on, she pointed at his neck and cheek. "I didn't take you for the type that moves fast on your dates."

"What?" Kojiro asked in confusion, looking down at where Musashi was pointing. From his view, he couldn't see. Musashi impatiently pulled out a compact mirror and thrust it at him. "Seriously?" she growled.

Kojiro caught the mirror and opened it. Immediately, he saw and recalled the kiss on the cheek Melody had left him. Also, he remembered with horror, the mark on his neck/collar area. _Well this looks bad_ , Kojiro thought grimly.

"It's not what you think," Kojiro said, laughing softly at how dumb he sounded saying that common excuse. He stopped laughing when he noticed Musashi was not amused.

"Really?" Musashi asked sarcastically.

"It's true Melody kissed me on the cheek," Kojiro explained. "But then she left me and I haven't found her since. The one on the neck was an accident. I stopped suddenly to talk to her and she crashed into me!"

Musashi gave him a skeptic look.

"Seriously, Musashi," pleaded Kojiro. "You know I'm not like that!"

Musashi had turned away, noticing in surprise that she had tears forming in her eyes. _What?_ she thought incredulously. _Why am I crying?_

Kojiro noticed Musashi had wiped around her eyes and his interest perked. Just as he was about to approach her, some strange man had walked up to Musashi.

"Musavie!" he exclaimed, starstruck. "You were amazing! I've never seen a performance like that!" Musashi smiled politely and was about to answer him when she felt Kojiro's arm slip around her waist possessively as he stood next to her, facing the man. "Oh, s-sorry," apologized the man, backing away. "I didn't know I was interrupting."

"There's nothing to interrupt," Musashi said with a humph, pushing Kojiro's arm away. The man sensed the awkward situation and smartly stepped away. Dejected at Musashi's action, Kojiro looked away and muttered, "What's it to you anyway about whether or not I have those lipstick marks on me? You're the one who said you weren't jealous."

"I'm not!" Musashi shouted. "I'm just upset that..." she looked around. "That there's no more time left for us to hang out together! The festival is already coming to an end. So...I guess I'm just mad that we had plans together and then you go and cancel it with your date with that girl!" _Yeah, go with that_ thought Musashi, silently admonishing herself.

She began walking away, feeling those strange tears forming again. "I guess I just wanted some time together too, to get away from our duties and enjoy the life here on Alola..."

Kojiro caught her arm, tugging gently, causing her to stop. He took notice of the tears forming. He felt a lurch in his chest and couldn't stop the words from spilling out. "Musashi, I never wanted to go on that date with Melody!" Musashi wiped her eyes and looked at him. "If anything, I would rather have spent my entire day with you!" Kojiro continued. "And Nyasu, of course...but mostly with you!"

"Kojiro," Musashi said softly, afraid to even ask, "What are you going on about?" She felt the strangest, unfamiliar sense of butterflies beginning to flutter in her stomach.

"I wanted you to be jealous because," he hesitated. "because I wanted you to feel the same way I feel for you! I love you Musashi!"

Musashi stared at him, astonished at his words. She blushed, not knowing what to say. She looked away to avoid the awkwardness of his gaze.

"It's OK, Musashi" Kojiro replied softly. Crestfallen from Musashi's reaction to his confession, he said, "I'm sorry I made this evening weird." He looked pleadingly into her eyes. "You don't have to give me an answer now...or ever..." he sighed. "Can we...can we just go home? I'm tired." He began to walk away, heading back to base. Musashi watched him, biting her lip, deep in thought. _What do I do?_ she thought. _I'm...not sure how I feel about him, but why was I so upset about his date...What do I say?_

After a few moments, she began walking after him, back to the base as well.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Musashi woke up, still mulling over yesterday's events. She hoped with all her might that things wouldn't be different between her and Kojiro. _Why would he say something like that, knowing it would change things?!_ she thought angrily. _Maybe it's best to clear things up now before they get worse._

She walked over to Kojiro, who was still asleep and facing away from her. "Kojiro," she called sternly.

Kojiro groaned groggily.

"Wake up," she ordered. "I need to talk to you."

Kojiro groaned again and Musashi gave a sigh of exasperation. She walked around to face him and noticed that his forehead was covered in sweat. Immediately, she stooped down to touch his head. _He's burning up_ , she thought. Kojiro opened his eyes to look at her weakly. He gave her a horrible attempt at a smile. "You must have caught something last night at the festival," Musashi offered.

Kojiro gave a raspy cough and attempted to sit up.

"No, no," Musashi warned. "Rest, I'll get something for your symptoms." She looked around and called for Nyasu.

"Can you find Kojiro some medicine at the local store?" she asked Nyasu as he stepped closer to her. "He's come down with a really bad cold and fever." Nyasu nodded, and bounded off into the town nearby. She looked at Kiteruguma. "Can you get Kojiro something to make him feel better?" Musashi asked. "He's pretty sick." Kiteruguma nodded and began heading to the forest to collect whatever she needed.

Musashi glanced at Kojiro while he lied down. She headed over to get some cold water and a towel. Sitting down next to Kojiro, she began taking off his boots and gloves. Kojiro made a motion to protest but she shushed him. "I need to cool you down, Mr. Modesty." she stated. "You may not feel like it, but you're burning up and need to cool off your body." She playfully looked at him and said. "Don't worry, you'll still have pants and shirt when I'm done with you."

Musashi piled Kojiro's gloves, boots and jacket nearby and began dabbing at his forehead with the towel. Kojiro sighed in relief and curled up in Musashi's lap. Taken by surprise, Musashi eventually relaxed and continued to rotate and resoak the towel to help bring down Kojiro's fever. She fought the irresistable urge to stroke some loose strands of his hair, but eventually lost. Musashi began running her fingers gently through his hair and forehead as Kojiro hummed in content.

* * *

Nyasu and Kiteruguma came back at the same time. Nyasu had a bottle with some type of syrup in it. Kiteruguma had some type of hot drink. Both items were placed next to Musashi. Nyasu helped to bring Kojiro up to a seated position. Kiteruguma sat and waited from afar, watching them. Gently, Musashi poured some of the syrup into a spoon and gently fed it to Kojiro. He grimaced in disgust but swallowed the whole dose.

"Here, chase it down with this," Musashi said, offering the drink that Kiteruguma brought. "Careful, it's hot."

Kojiro took grateful sips and relaxed, feeling noticeably better. Musashi began to stand up and Kojiro whined.

"Kojiro, you need to rest," she warned. "I need to prepare for tomorrow's plan to capture the brat boy's Pikachu. And I need you to get your strength back as soon as possible."

With a weak nod, Kojiro laid down and went back to sleep. Musashi watched him a bit longer, feeling an unfamiliar urge to go back and have him rest in her lap once more. She shook her head angrily and stormed away. _Man, what is up with me?_ Musashi thought.

* * *

The next day, the Rocket gang were back to their usual antics. Their plan to capture Pikachu had backfired and they were being blasted off by a powerful attack from Satoshi's Lugarugan.

"Yana kanjiiiiii!" they screamed in unison as they became nothing more but a speck of light in the distant sky from Satoshi's view.

This time, Kiteruguma was not there to catch the trio as they landed through the soft brush of some trees and onto the ground. All three groaned in pain as they picked themselves up. Dusting themselves off, Musashi looked around to see where they had landed.

"Nyasu," she said, looking at the cat Pokemon. "Where are we?"

Nyasu began to paw through their GPS. "We're not on the main island." he stated. "It looks like we're on another one of the nearby ones...looks like Poni Island."

Kojiro stirred a bit. "P-Poni island?" he asked. He began to look around frantically. Then, he ran off towards the clearing of the forest.

"Kojiro!" Musashi called after him. "Where is he going?" she asked in an annoyed voice.

"I don't know," answered Nyasu. "He looks a little spooked."

"Spooked?" asked Musashi. "Why would he be-"

"We need to leave!" Kojiro shouted, running towards his teammates. He wore a look of panic. He was met with looks of confusion.

"I know that," Musashi answered. "Why are you so scared?"

Kojiro began pushing Musashi more towards the inside of the forest.

"Wa-wait!" Musashi protested, as Kojiro continued to push her. Nyasu jogged along, looking equally as confused. "Kojiro, what's wrong?"

Musashi dug her heels in the ground, forcing Kojiro to stop. Kojiro, who was panting, looked around wildy before he gulped.

"My family," he began. "They have a vacation home on this island."

"Sooo?" Musashi answered.

"Don't you remember the last time I saw my family?" Kojiro asked angrily. "They still want to force me into..." he shuddered. "M-marriage with that crazy fiance of mine."

Musashi had a flash of realization. "Ooh, that's right!" she said softly.

"I wouldn't be concerned," Nyasu assured Kojiro. "There's no way they would know we're even in the Alola region."

"You don't know them like I do," Kojiro muttered darkly.

"Kojiro-San!" a feminine voice called from the distance. Kojiro's face went white, as he recognized the voice immediately.

"Hey, isn't that..." Musashi said.

"R-Rumika!" Kojiro squeaked. He turned to see something approaching them and fast. "We need to go! Now!"

"Wait!" Nyasu protested. "We don't have our balloon or... nothing!"

"Run!" Kojiro cried and bolted into the forest. Musashi and Nyasu followed after.

"Kojiro-San!" Rumika cried again, getting closer. She was in a large wagon being pulled by two Gallop (Rapidash) pokemon. She pursued the Trio into the woods and when she got close enough, she leapt from the wagon and began running after Kojiro on foot.

"Wait Kojiro-San!" Rumika cried out, running behind him.

"I told you to leave me alone!" Kojiro cried.

Rumika ordered her Ruffresia (Vileplume) to constrain him with its vines. The Pokemon did as it was told and sent its vines towards Kojiro, wrapping him tightly and causing him to fall over.

"Let me go!" he cried.

Musashi, hearing Kojiro's cries, ran back over to him and stood in front of him protectively. She reached for her Monsterball containing Mimikkyu when Rumika suddenly appeared inches from Musashi's face.

"I wouldn't do that dear," warned Rumika. "Just let him go. He needs to be with his family and fiance."

"Not a chance," Musashi began to protest. "He's my friend!"

"If you were any good of a friend, you would let him go with me," Rumika answered sweetly. "Why make this man suffer any longer living this life? With me he can be happy, live in luxury...and you can never do that for him, can you?"

Those words hit Musashi like a tackle to the stomach. She stared expressionlessly at Rumika, the hand that was once reaching for her Monsterball dropped to Musashi's side.

"I knew you'd do the right thing," Rumika purred before backflipping and leaping back onto the wagon, which had pulled up alongside them. "Let's go Ruffresia!" Rumika called sweetly. "We have a wedding to plan!"

Ruffresia jumped onto the wagon, dragging along Kojiro, whose mouth was muffled by one of the vines. It was jarred loose and Kojiro looked towards Musashi. "Musashi!" he called desperately. A wave of terror swept across his face.

Musashi, who was still in a state of shock, merely looked at him with a blank expression.

"Musashi?!" Kojiro cried, more fervently.

Nyasu brought out his claws and was about to leap towards Kojiro when Musashi grabbed him.

"Musashi?!" he cried, trying to squirm from her grasp. "What are you doing?! We need to help him!"

"No," Musashi said quietly to him. She held him tight as he conituned to squirm. "Let me go! We have to help!"

All the while, Kojiro continued to cry for Musashi as the wagon took off in the opposite direction. He watched as Musashi grew smaller in the distance. He continued to scream until his voice grew hoarse. When he could no longer see her or Nyasu out the back of the wagon, he stared numbly at the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

Musashi put Nyasu down once he had gone limp in her arms. Tears welled in his eyes, confused on why Musashi refused to help Kojiro. Once on the ground he looked up at Musashi helplessly. "He's our friend, Meow," he sniveled sadly. "And he l-loves you," Nyasu added.

"It's better this way, Nyasu." Musashi said softly to him, before turning and walking away.

"What did Rumika say to you?" he called after Musashi. "Why can't we help him?"

* * *

The wagon had pulled into a large, tropical looking estate on the opposite end of the island the forest was in. The wagon stopped in front of the steps of the front entrance. Rumika jumped off the driver's seat of the wagon and skipped to the back end, where Kojiro and Ruffresia were. Kojiro was still transfixed on the floor of the wagon, feeling more numb than ever.

"Come on, Kojiro san!" Rumika sang, as Ruffresia pulled him with it out of the wagon. "If you behave and promise not to run, I'll set you free from the vines."

Kojiro said nothing. However, he nodded his head sadly, keeping his eyes on the ground. He felt the vines loosen and unwravel themselves from around him. As his arms hung loosely by his sides, he looked towards the exit. _What's the point?_ he thought as he stared sadly at the gate.

He felt Rumika take his hand and he allowed himself to be pulled up the steps and through the entrance. Immediately, he was before his parents. He looked up at them with a somber expression.

"My boy!" his father boomed. "Your days of running are finally over."

"It's time you settled down and let this woman make an honest man of yourself," his mother chimed in.

Kojiro looked away and refused to answer them.

"Come Kojiro-San," Rumika said, linking her arms to one of his. "I'll show you to your room."

She led him up a grand staircase and to the left. Although the home was nowhere near the size of his home in Kanto, the grandeur of the place was second to no other home on the islands of Alola.

Rumika led Kojiro to a room with double large doors. Upon entering the room, Kojiro took in the enormous space and expensive furniture. His eyes took notice of the large window, which had large iron bars guarding it from the outside.

"Just in case you get any ideas," Rumika commented, taking note of what Kojiro was looking at. "The door locks from the outside only, so there will no escaping," she added. "Hopkins will be up shortly to help prepare your wedding suit." With that, she blew him a kiss and closed the doors loudly behind her. Kojiro winced as he heard the bolt of the lock slide into place.

He let out a sigh and sat down on a nearby chair, his face in his hands. Despite all the things that were running through his head, he was too overwhelmed to even piece them together to form any thoughts.


	8. Chapter 8

Musashi was sitting down, a few feet away from Nyasu. She looked towards the horizon, her face unreadable. Nyasu looked away from her sadly, and noticed a red sphere on the ground. He walked over and noticed that it was a Monsterball. He thought for a moment and pressed the white button. Out popped Hidoide(Mareanie). She came out with a smile and greeted Nyasu. However, she began immediately looking around for Kojiro.

"Hi-de?" she asked Nyasu, who sighed and began explaining everything to her. Upon being told the situation, Hidoide approached Musashi and began crying loudly at her. Musashi looked boredly at her. Then, she looked over at Nyasu.

"What's she saying?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Nyasu retorted. "She feels the same way that I do. We need to go after Kojiro."

Musashi turned back to look at Hidoide.

"I'm not going back for Kojiro," Musashi told her. "Regardless of how you feel about him, he's better off with his fiance and rich family."

Hidoide starting going off again and Nyasu translated. "How can you say that? Kojiro is our friend and he does not want to go with them. He was taken against his will."

"Kojiro may not want to go, but it's best for him. He's just being stubborn," Musashi argued back. "There's nothing I can do."

Hidoide kept arguing so Musashi stood up to walk away.

"What's best for Kojiro is not what he wants and we should respect that," Nyasu continued to translate. "He's in trouble and friends need to be there for each other!"

"Enough!" Musashi shouted. "Rumika is right...she knows that we...I...cannot provide Kojiro with anything that she and his family can. With them he can have stability, and all the money he can ever dream of."

Hidoide calmly began talking. "Is it really that important?" asked Nyasu, translating for Hidoide. "Doesn't what we provide for Kojiro mean much more than that? Friendship? Love? Unconditional acceptance of who he is? We provide Kojiro with a sense of home much more than any amount of money than that rich family of his can EVER provide. You may not be his rich fiance, but for Kojiro...you're more than enough that what he could have ever ask of you."

Musashi paused, considering Hidoide's words and finding truth to them. She cursed herself, knowing she should have considered this long ago and never should hsve let Rumika have them. Musashi turned to Hidoide and smiled.

"Thanks Hidoide," she said. Hidoide returned the smile.

"Alright!," roared Musashi. "Let's go get our Kojiro back!" She looked at Nyasu, thinking. "But we're going to need some help!"

* * *

Musashi and Nyasu headed back to their base, having found a nearby boat that they "commandeered". Kiteruguma spotted them and approached them quickly. Before she could embrace them, Musashi stopped her. "I need your help," she said. "Kojiro was taken and we need to get him back. But we can't do it without some extra help. Will you help me?"

Kiteruguma stared at Musashi for a moment before nodding. "Thank you," Musashi said. "It will take longer if I try to do it, but you have a knack for traveling to far places with great speed. I need a friend, from Kanto. Do you think you can get him and bring him back by tomorrow?"

Kiteruguma nodded and Musashi began whispering in her ear.

"Hey!" Nyasu cried. "How come your whispering, Meow? I need to know these things!"

"That's a surprise for later," Musashi answered him. "You, on the other hand, can help me with something else that only you can handle."

"Really?" asked Nyasu, swelling with pride. "What?"

"I need you," Musashi explained. "To go into town and sneak a fire stone for me. Do you think you can handle it? I need it back around the same time Kiteruguma returns."

Nyasu nodded with confidence and took off towards the town.

Musashi looked at Sonansu. "You ready to go with me to go find a battle outfit?" she asked him.

"Sonansu!" he cried and walked with his trainer to the shops nearby.


	9. Chapter 9

Kojiro looked up when the door opened. Hopkins had come inside with some sample suits.

"Hello Master Kojiro," he greeted. "I have come to have a suit decided for your wedding."

Kojiro grumbled and stood up, while Jeeves measured and placed different fabrics against him. Once he was finished, he gave Kojiro a bundle of clothes. "Here," he said. "Rumika would like you to wear this during the rehearsal this evening."

He left the room and Kojiro held out the clothes, revealing a long sleeve black collared shirt and some white pants. Kojiro rolled his eyes and began changing. Kojiro stood to look at himself in the large mirror in the room.

 _I guess this is my life now_ Kojiro thought sadly. _Goodbye freedom, goodbye old friends...goodbye..._

The door opened to the room and Kojiro spotted a flash of magenta hair. "Musashi?" he asked, full of hope.

Rumika stepped in and closed the door behind her. She shot a glare at Kojiro. "I don't ever want to hear you mention that name again! Is that understood?"

Kojiro's eyes filled with tears, realizing that he mistook Rumika for Musashi. He sat down on the chair from before and began sobbing loudly. _Why did I think it was her? I know she's not coming back for me. She just let me be taken by Rumika._ Kojiro thought with horror as he sobbed. _What it...what if my confession scared her off? I guess that's her answer then..._

Kojiro continued to sob, the full weight of his reality finally hitting him. Rumika approached him with a sympathetic look. "There, there Kojiro-San," she cooed. She sat on his lap and took his head in her hands. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead while tears spilled down Kojiro's face. "There's no need to cry. I'm here for you."

In a few moments, Kojiro stopped crying and glared at her. "Get off me," he growled angrily.

Rumika seductively fidgeted on his lap. "You better get used to this Kojiro san," she purred. "Because once we're married, you belong only to me...and what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine." She gave a dignified laugh, while Kojiro looked at her in disgust.

She stood up, pulling Kojiro up with her. "Mustn't be late, darling," she said in her false sweet voice. She threw a tie around Kojiro and proceeded to fasten it around his neck in an elegant knot. Upon finishing, she gripped the long end of the tie and tugged, causing Kojiro to follow her downstairs.

"Why do you want to marry me?" Kojiro asked her. Rumika paused for a moment and turned around. "Because it's our duties to our families." she replied. "Why can't you get that and honor your parents? They did the same thing for their families and now it's our turn."

"But don't you want to marry for...love?" Kojiro asked, puzzled in thinking that love would be the major driving factor of most women wanting to get married. He shuddered internally for what he was about to ask. "Do you...love me?"

Rumika giggled evily. "Love? That has nothing to do with this arrangement," she said. "If I loved you, do you think I would _force_ you to settle down and marry me?"

"Still," she said softly, approaching Kojiro to take his head in her hands once more. "You are quite a catch!" Kojiro jerked his head way, grimacing at her.

"Your mommy and daddy have been waiting for this wedding for a long time," she said, continuing to walk Kojiro downstairs with her. "After this rehearsal, we will be wed immediately the next day!" Rumika gave another dignified laugh. Kojiro hung his head, miserably accepting his fate in silent surrender.


	10. Chapter 10

Later on that evening, Nyasu came back, the fire stone in his paws. Musashi praised him and took it from him. "Why did you need the fire stone, Musashi?" Nyasu asked her.

"That's part of the surprise," Musashi said.

"Yeah, well," Nyasu said, slightly annoyed. "It's a good thing I'm not a fire Pokemon or I would've evolved the moment I grabbed this thing! So, what's the big plan anyway Meow?"

"Well," Musashi began, drawing in the dirt with a stick. "We are going to break into the compound, interrupt any wedding that may be going on, and take our Kojiro back."

"Uh huh," Nyasu said skeptically. "You make it sound so easy. That place is like a fortress! How are we going to just 'break in'?"

"That," Musashi answered. "Is where our surprise friend comes in. I'm sure he would love to help Kojiro." Nyasu gave another confused look and Musashi laughed. "Sleep Nyasu. We'll need our strength for tomorrow, trust me."

"I can't sleep now!" Nyasu cried. "I'm all pumped up!"

Musashi yawned. "Then, apply that energy towards inspecting our Nyasu balloon," she told Nyasu. "Make sure it's ready to handle our trip for tomorrow."

"Roger that!" Nyasu agreed and bounded towards the balloon.

* * *

The next morning, Musashi was up early. Nyasu was with her and nervously looking around. "Do you think Kiteruguma will be back in time?"

"I hope so," Musashi answered anxiously.

Just then, Kiteruguma landed from out of nowhere with a high pitched squeak. The dust cleared and Musashi and Nyasu looked to see Kiteruguma place someone onto the ground.

"Is that..." Nyasu said, squinting his eyes. "Gar-Chan(Growlie)?"

Gar-Chan approached Nyasu and Musashi excitedly. Musashi smiled and pet the firedog Pokemon on the head affectionately. She kneeled down to face him. "I knew you'd come help us," she said to him.

"Soo.." interrupted Nyasu, "Gar-Chan is the surprise we need to help us infiltrate the fortress?"

"Not yet," Musashi said confidently. She looked back at Gar-Chan. "There's something I need to ask of you for Kojiro's sake," she said. "We need all the fire power we can get and I know it will take someone who knows Kojiro and knows how to stop his parents and Rumika. I have a fire stone. I know it's asking a lot of you. But will you evolve to help us?"

Without hesitation, Gar-Chan barked in agreement. Musashi smiled and thanked him. "All right!" she cried. "Let's do this and be on our way!" She ran off towards the base to go grab the fire strone. When she returned, Musashi adorned a sleek black dress that trailed off in a slight train.

"What the heck is that?" Nyasu asked.

"It's my battle dress," Musashi answered defensively. "I need to look good when I go into battles like this.

Nyasu met her with a skeptic look. "Right, more like someone needs to outshine Rumika dress. Let's get going!"

* * *

Kojiro once again stood in front of the mirror in his room. Before him, a sad man with a sharp black suit stood. His expensive shoes shined in the mirror, along with the light bouncing off his diamond cufflinks. _I don't even recognize this poor sap_ Kojiro thought miserably. _I don't think I ever will_.

A knock at the door caused Kojiro to jump. It was Hopkins. "We're ready, master Kojiro," he called through the door. Kojiro called back to him and made his way as slow as possible to the door. As he made his way down the stairs to the lavishly decorated backyard, Kojiro took note of how he felt. It was like a dream, like he wasn't even in his body. Yet for some reason, he went along with everything. _I wish this was a dream_ Kojiro thought. _That way, I would know that eventually, I would wake up and this would be over_.

He began walking down the aisle to take his place at the altar. He waited there numbly, contemplating his future when the music began and Rumika appeared from the doorway. Despite her looking absolutely beautiful in her expensive dress, Kojiro was utterly terrified. Tears began to form in his eyes. Not from happiness of seeing his blushing bride, but from absolute horror of what was soon to follow.

Everyone began to "ooh" and "Ahh". However, a sound in the distance caught Kojiro's attention. _What was that?_ Kojiro thought. _Fireworks already?_


	11. Chapter 11

Kiteruguma stood at the splintered heap where the entrance doors once stood.

"Yah Hoo!" cried Musashi. "If we need you, we'll call for you! For now, please guard our escape balloon!"

"Let's go!" Nyasu cried, running forward. Musashi, riding atop a majestic Windie (Arcanine), followed suit. Together they ran through the foyer and through the back doors. Everyone gasped as Windie, Nyasu, and Musashi burst through. Everyone stared at them for a moment.

"What in the world?" cried Kojiro's mom.

"If you ask us this or that," Musashi began.

"The pity of the world is what responds!" Nyasu chimed in, noticing Kojiro hadn't answered yet.

"To prevent the destruction of the world!"

"To protect the peace of the world!"

"To stand by the evils of love and truth!"

"The lovely, charmy villains!"

"Musashi!"

"Nyasu!"

"The pair from Team Rocket soars across the galaxy!"

"A white hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!"

"SONANSU!"

Everyone stared at them in silence.

"Do you think we should have waited for the 'anyone objects' part, Meow?" Nyasu whispered to Musashi.

"Ruffresia!" Rumika cried out. "Stop them!" Ruffresia made an advance towards them but Windie shot out a flamethrower so hot, that it singed the grass Pokemon to the core, and caused the guests to run away. Musashi jumped down and looked for Kojiro. His parents made a dash for it and Musashi called to Windie and Nyasu, "Don't let them get away! Get Kiteruguma's help if you need it! I'll get Kojiro!"

Nodding, Nyasu bolted after Windie to make sure Kojiro's parents didn't get in the way. Rumika was cradling her Ruffresia, distracted by the attack. Musashi noticed Kojiro still standing at the altar, looking at her as if she was a ghost. She began to approach him slowly.

Kojiro stared at Musashi in disbelief. _Am I dreaming?_ He thought. He watched as his partner approached him. Her hair had been thrown down messily and her black dress had been frayed at the ends. Despite all this, Kojiro still thought that she was the most beautiful than she had ever been, outshining Rumika 100 fold.

Musashi, likewise, had taken notice of Kojiro's attire and how handsome he looked, standing at the altar. She blushed in admiration.

"Wow," she breathed out. "You sure do clean up nice." Kojiro merely stared at Musashi, still trying to figure out if this was real or not. Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes as he continued to look at her. "Come on Kojiro," Musashi said. "Let's get you out of here."

"Is this a dream?" he finally uttered. Musashi looked at him in pity. _Geez, this poor guy really has been through a lot these past few hours_. Before Musashi could answer, Rumika had returned her Ruffresia to its Monsterball and stood up.

"How dare you!" she screamed, storming towards Musashi. Rumika's expensive wedding dress was now scorched beyond repair and torn in many places. "My dress! My wedding! You ruined everything!" She glared at Musashi. "I thought we were clear you were to stay away! Do you honestly think you could provide a better life for him? That he would be happier with you?!"

"He doesn't need you or his parent's money to be happy!" Musashi cried out. "I should have grasped that sooner." Musashi looked at Kojiro sadly. "I'm sorry if I made you feel unwanted."

"Unwanted," Rumika scoffed. "Why would he need to be wanted by you?! What is he to you anyway?"

"Because," Musashi said softly, looking at Kojiro, blushing and then looking at Rumika. "Kojiro is my...favorite person." Musashi smiled affectionately at Kojiro. "And regardless if he's just my partner, or my friend or..." Musashi paused to glare at Rumika. "Whatever he needs me to be, I'll be that person! Whatever it takes to make Kojiro happy, I'll do it! He deserves to be happy, because that's just who he is! You don't deserve him! And he sure as hell doesn't deserve someone like you!"

Rumika seethed on the spot. She was about to lunge at Musashi when Sonansu tackled her.

"Sonansu!" Musashi cried out in shock.

"Eww! Get off me you blue blob!" cried Rumika in disgust.

"Musashi! Kojiro!" Nyasu called to them, appearing around the corner. "We should go! Kiteruguma has Kojiro's parents! We're all clear!"

"Kojiro, let's go!" Musashi said to him. She turned to leave and noticed Kojiro remained at his spot. "Koji-"

"I'll be right there," Kojiro said to her. Musashi nodded at him and ran off towards the front with Nyasu.


	12. Chapter 12

Kojiro looked down at Rumika, who was still on the ground after Sonansu had gotten up and bounded loyally after Musashi. Kojiro ripped off his tie and threw it on the ground next to her.

"Goodbye Rumika," he said to her in a firm tone. "I never want to see you again."

Rumika sobbed pathetically and looked up at him with defeated eyes. "Go," she sobbed. "Go be with that filthy woman!"

"Please," Kojiro laughed softly. "That woman has more class that you can ever afford to buy." He took off his suit jacket and threw it down next to the tie. "Don't ever come near me again," Kojiro warned before walking away from her.

* * *

"Let us go!" both Kojiro's parents shouted at Kiteruguma. "How dare you interfere!"

"How dare you?!" Musashi asked incredulously. "You're the ones who want to force your own son into an unhappy marriage with that madwoman! And for what? Your own benefit! How selfish can you be?"

Musashi looked up at Kiteruguma. "Thank you Kiteruguma," Musashi said. "You can take them inside. We'll meet you back home from here."

Kiteruguma stomped away, both Kojiro's parents in either arm, squirming to get down. "Well," Musashi sighed in relief. "It's nice to see Kiteruguma carrying off someone else for a change."

"Musashi!"

Musashi turned to see Kojiro jogging towards her. "Oh Kojiro!" she cried out. "About time you showed up!"

Nyasu sensed the upcoming awkwardness and led Sonansu to the air balloon. Windie backed away, but watched them from a few feet.

Kojiro stopped when he was just short of Musashi. Breathless, he stared into her eyes for a few moments longer than Musashi was comfortable. Suddenly, he pulled her into an embrace. Musashi gasped in surprise as it was the tightest hug Kojiro had ever given her. She reached around him to hold him and noticed his shoulders were shaking. Taking aback, she realized he was sobbing into her softly.

His sobs soon became louder as he fell to his knees; his embrace pulling Musashi down with him. Musashi continued to hold him, hoping he would calm down. She looked at him with the utmost sympathy, but also felt pangs of guilt, knowing that she could have prevented this from happening altogether. She struggled with the words to say to make the situation better. The only words that came to mind were 'I'm sorry' or 'she can't hurt you no more'.

Before she could say anything, Kojiro blurted out. "I'm so glad you came back!"

"I never should have let her take you, knowing how much of a monster she is," Musashi answered. "Please forgive me for taking so long."

Kojiro sniffed and looked over towards Windie. Windie came bounding over happily. "Is that?" Kojiro asked. "Gar-Chan?"

Windie licked Kojiro affectionately and he laughed. "It is you!" Kojiro took in the large Pokemon before him. "Well, and more!" He made a face and looked at Musashi. "I thought he could only have evolved with a fire stone?"

Musashi grinned sheepishly. "I did ask his permission, you know," Musashi explained. "I knew he would be of much more help if he was in his evolved state." Kojiro continued to beam at Windie. He stood up and looked into his eyes.

"Like always, I have to ask much of you," he said softly to his old Pokemon friend. "Can you look after my parents?" Kojiro asked while looking at his parent's destroyed vacation home. "It looks like they need some help." Windie barked at Kojiro. "If they give you any trouble, I'm sure you can handle it better now, right?" He stroked the Pokemon and hugged him tight. "Thank you, old friend," he murmured. "I'll see you again soon!"

Windie bounded off towards the home, leaving Kojiro and Musashi alone once more. Kojiro smiled shyly and kicked at the ground. Musashi mimicked him. "So," she began. "I know you're waiting for my answer..."

"I already have it," Kojiro replied. Musashi looked confused. "I don't want to make things awkward," Kojiro continued. "but you said that whatever I need you to be, you'll be." He took her hand and held it up. "Most of all, I want to be your partner forever." He brought her hand to his lips, planting a soft kiss. "But, even if I _want_ you to be more than that, I want _you_ to want that as well. Not just to please me."

Musashi blushed. "I don't want things to change between us, especially to make things weird," she replied. "But I want to see how this could be," she smiled hopefully at him. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to say those 3 words yet. But I know I'm close!"

Kojiro leaned in to kiss Musashi but she cried out in alarm. "J-Just a moment! Not in front of Nyasu and the others!"

Kojiro smiled warmly at Musashi. "Then we'll just have to take it slow." He held out his hand. Musashi took it and walked with him together to the balloon.

"Together," she said.


	13. Epilogue

**A week later**

* * *

Another beautiful afternoon in Alola was underway. The waves crashed rhythmically against the shore and the sweet smell of the sea, tropical plants, and fruit filled the air. Under the shade of a swaying palm tree sat both Musashi and Kojiro atop a large beach blanket. Together, they enjoyed the scenery and sipped at straws from their coconut drinks.

"Ahh," Musashi sighed. "Now this is more like it."

"Told you it would be nice to enjoy some time off from working," Kojiro replied, taking in the ambience. "I just hope Nyasu's not too overwhelmed working the donut truck alone."

He slipped his hand over Musashi's and gave it a gentle squeeze. She looked at him and smiled.

"If you can do it, I'm sure he can handle it." Musashi said. Playfully she added, "Maybe he'll find a nice female Nyasu to ask _him_ on a date too." She turned her head to face him but was met with Kojiro's lips on hers.

She blushed, pulling her head away from him. "You gotta stop doing that!" she cried, flustered.

"Why?" Kojiro asked, grinning at her. "You don't like it?"

"N-no," Musashi stammered. "It's not that. I thought we were going to move slow."

"Musashi, I've known you since Pokemon Tech. How much slower do you want me to move?" Kojiro asked. "If you want me to stop giving you kisses, then-"

Musashi interrupted his speech with a kiss of her own, taking a moment longer to savor the taste of his lips.

Kojiro was stunned for a moment, a look of being drunk plastered on his face. He snapped out of it. "I'll take that as a 'No', then," he replied breathlessly.

Musashi smiled and looked out towards the beautiful ocean. "Just shut up and enjoy the day with me."

"Yes dear," Kojiro replied playfully.


End file.
